


Star and What Slithers Below

by aNGELICmURDER



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Other, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-07 14:40:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10362684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aNGELICmURDER/pseuds/aNGELICmURDER
Summary: Star enters her wand to find answers to help her mother. Instead she's exposed to secrets better left to the darkness.





	

Star’s footsteps echoed off the Royal Palace’s hallways in a quick and steady beat. The wand light curved up before her, highlighting the large, ornate, wooden door; carved with wooden flowers and vines that reach up outside the wand’s light. Without thinking she pushed the door open and stepped inside, pulling up Marco’s hoodie to gain some measure of comfort in the lonely room.

Inside, the walls curved and connected, forming a circle. Large tapestries dotted them with tiny podiums in the front, soft backlight giving them an eerie glow in the darkness. Star lowered her wand and moved closer to the recent Queen tapestries. She glanced over the one that belonged to Festivisa, eyeing the way the goblet rested easily in her hand and the smile on her face shone out with teeth and cheer.

“I really could use some of your joy right about now.” Star rubbed the podium for luck. True she didn’t have to, but it seemed appropriate given the time and location. She wiped her nose on the sleeve of the hoodie and continued around to the current Queen, taking great care not to look at Eclipsa's . Moon Butterfly; indisposed.

“Oh mom.” Tears welled up along the top of her checks as she choked and her chest squeezed her rapidly beating heart. Her fist bunched up the front of her dress, locked up with a crippling mix of anger, sadness and regret. Her mother was still in the Mewni medical rooms, eyes still sunken into her skull. River at her side every day, tending to her, too distraught to keep at his desk and see to the people. 

Aunt Etheria stepped in to fulfill the role as royal ambassador with Star being so young and still untrained. Everyone thought it best. Star coughed and wiped away her tears. She was sure that Aunt Etheria had so many things to say about them once Moon was back and ruling but for now she bit her tongue and worked, and if she could get through then Star could do what was expected of her and find out what Moon had done to get rid of Toffee.

That’s why she was in the wand. Even though Glossaryck wasn’t there to help her out if she saw herself again or her mom… no. Think positive and looking for clues. She touched the podium and began to read. 

“The Immortal Monster was forever haunted  
By the darkest spell of Moon the Undaunted.”

Star raised her wand to look over the tapestry. “The darkest spell…”

Skirt. Did her mother have any spells?

Skirt. Maybe something of Queen Eclipsa’s

Skirt. If she had the spell she could just ask-

Skiiirt… 

“I’m trying to concentrate!” Star screamed, rising her wand high above her head to blast the collection of strings and sewing equipment when a hand grabbed her wrist. The grip tight and painful enough that her grip on her wand loosened. When she looked up it was Toffee, dressed exactly as he was in the tapestry, eyes flashing angry yellow around constricted pupils. His muzzle slightly opened and the tip of his tongue peaked out. 

“Nu huh, huh Star, you know better than to play around with the wand.” Toffee smiled at her, shivers running down her back as she tried to yank her wrist free. Was he always this strong? Granted he did survive her wand exploding but there was a limit wasn’t there? Wasn’t there?

Toffee pulled her closer, muzzle just close enough that his breath warmed her face and had her holding her breath. At this distance, she could see where his waist separated from the fabric.

“Toffee.” Star kept her voice even, trying to think of a spell that would work on him this close that wouldn’t also kill her. “How did you get in here?”

“I’ve always been here Star.” He still hadn’t let go of her hand but the pressured eased up. “Remember, the wand is a part of me now. I know everything it knows and I can even see what it sees-”

She gasped, pulling back with just enough room to kick him in the face. He started, giving her the chance she needed to make space between them. “You’ve been spying on me through my wand!”

The wand’s light bathed Toffee in its glow and Star could see the piece in his right hand glowing green. Once he caught his breath Toffee cleared his throat, rubbing the spot Star kicked as he continued. “Not by my own choice.

“These pieces,” He held his hand up. “They belong to the same wand and when they align I can see where you are, who you’re with and what you’re doing. It also works the same for you.”

The wand shook in Star’s grip, all this time, he knew where she was. Did her mom’s sacrifice mean anything when Toffee could just waltz up to the castle and take her and her wand by force? The wand shifted, the white, rounded wings becoming black and pointy, with the half star face turning into an eye, similar to Toffee’s but the most dangerous switch was the light. No longer a pale yellow but deep ruby red along the walls.

“Don’t you think that’s a little - What the-” Once Star noticed the changes she screamed, almost dropping the wand as Toffee looked on, bemused as the princess panicked. 

“Oh for the love of,” He dropped out of the Tapestry,- still dressed in full battle armour- and walked over to Star without even flinching as she tried to Narwhal Blast him into the wall. He deflected it easily, grabbing the wand and grinning, teeth and all as the two pieces recognised each other and warped, turning a dark blue and magenta in their combined grasp. Star kicked at his legs as winds whipped up and around them, Marco’s hoodie flying behind her and over her head as the wand face turned and contorted until it was only just a black star surrounded with alternating stars and sickles with pointy bat wings. The two butterflies that usually lived on the wand were curiously still there.

“Let go of my wand, Toffee.” Star seethed, flipped the hoodie back over her eyes. The usual mirth in her blue eyes replaced with a boiling blue, heavy and hot and made Toffee chuckle. Like her mother, almost in every way…

“If you hadn’t over reacted, I would have gotten to the point.” He still didn’t let her go. “I have something I wanted to show you; to help with your mother.”

“Don’t you dare talk about my mother!” Star tried pulling on his grip but she couldn’t even move. “You’re just here to gloat and steal my magic.”

Slam!

Giggle, giggle, giggle. 

“Did you hear that?” Star squeaked as frost floated from her mouth. “I think the other Mes are coming.”

Toffee rubbed his muzzle with his free hand and yanked Star towards Moon Tapestry. “Come Star we have to go.”

“ I’m not going anywhere with-“ She screamed, finding strength she didn’t know she had to pull herself free from Toffee’s grip as her Mewberty self, encased him in hearts. “Oh, no. No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No.”

Star backed up towards the door, levelling her wand, now free from Toffee’s influence and back to normal to fire off a Warnicorn Stampede but one lone Warnicorn appeared, struggling to stay on its feet as it tackled the Mewberty Star.

“How dare you hurt her! Or is it me?” A chorus of her own voices started screaming, raining down from the hidden rafters with their own copies of the wand. Star raised her wand and yelled, “Radical Rainbow Blast!”

To a returning chorus of Bunny Rabbit Blasts; Every Star suddenly airborne and out of the path of the violent rainbow light. 

“You need to go.” Toffee picked Star up at the neck of her dress, unconcerned as she struggled to kick him in the shins.

“Put me down!” Star screamed, holding onto the edge of the Tapestry as Toffee forced her through.

He snarled, screaming as his back was washed by a rainbow blast. “You’re wasting time!”

Star yelped as he crushed the fingers on her left hand, holding on tightly with her right as the fabric sucked her in and down. “You’ll know you’ve found it when you see it.”

“I’m not going!” Star’s eyes widened as a tsunami barrelled towards them. Her fingers gripped her hard but with wand in that hand it was only a matter of time before her final finger slipped and she fell into Moon’s history.

 

Wind ripped past Star as she fell through the afternoon Mewni sky. Her wand was missing and the ground was coming quicker and quicker closer. The force of the impact scratched the sides of her dress and hoodie as she came to a stop. She stood up and brushed the loose bits of dirt off; padding herself down. No broken bones, no heavy bleeding, nothing to worry about… except her wand.

“Well that could’ve been worse.” She turned and turned in circles, patting herself down again before running to a nearby bush and searching for the glittering blue and pink wand. Could she lose her wand inside her wand? How did that even happen? Was it possible?

The bush at the edge of the clearing rustled and he ducked down to the earth, giggling as she remembered doing the exact same thing with Pony Head. She strained her ears outwards as the bushes rustled, footsteps trailed around the bush getting closer until they stopped on the other side. Two navy blue shoes with white stocking and a small diamond shaped clasp on the side she could see. Star put her hand to her mouth to keep from squealing.

Moon Butterfly.

If Star had to guess she was inside of the section dedicated to her mom. She could see things her mom did. The shoes darted away and without thinking Star rolled over, ignoring the face full of mud she got for her efforts and ran after her. 

The crown of white hair darted through the bushes. Sometimes Moon would stop and look around, darting off in the next direction without any reason to Star’s understanding and Star just kept following, trying to stay as hidden as possible as she followed the bouncing Princess. 

By the time Moon came to her destination Star was no longer interested in keeping hidden, only following just close enough to not lose her. She leaned against a tree, too tired to check for teeth and tried not pant too loudly.

“Psssst.” 

Rustle.

“Psst.”

More rustling, though Star could still feel her lungs beating her ribs and wasn’t too interesting in getting up. She heard the familiar tingle of her mother’s magic as she chanted and the entire area was bathed in bright sparkling blue light.

Thud! A large body fell from the sky, writhing and swirling just two feet ahead.

“Moon!” The writhing mound berated her; deep and serpentine but with more emotion than Star had ever heard from it. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to blink away the lights and sparkles so she could get a closer look. Over the hedges she couldn’t see much but she could recognise Toffee’s voice anywhere.

Moon’s hands perched on her hips, two long curls framed her face into porcelain calmness, betrayed only by the twitch of her eyes. They darted around the clearing, stopping to look at Toffee as he pulled him to his feet and then away again. 

Leaves rustled along the forest floor and Toffee stood up. Star gasped. Toffee looked exactly the same as when Star had last seen him. The same broad shoulders, the same long muzzle, the same long hair but this time tied up in long ponytail. The only difference Star could see was his clothing. Gone was the Lawyer suit and the sleek black wingtips instead he stood barefoot in the dirty with trousers frayed up to his knees. Instead of the shirt and tie he wore a cream coloured buccaneer shirt. 

Maybe it was the laid back attitude. The way his shoulders slumped and his spine relaxed forward almost leaning to meet Moon a little closer to eye level. Maybe it was the smile. The last time Star had seen Toffee smile he looked crazed, almost too happy to know he’d cornered her into his trap and had finally won.

Star clenched his fist in search of the familiar comfort of her wand. The emptiness reminded her that she still had yet to find it. That was fine. It was fine. She kicked butt without it so she could handle herself. It was gonna be fine.

“Sore loser.” Toffee said, running a hand over Moon’s coif and musing it up. She batted his hand away, smoothing the stray hairs in protest of the rough treatment. 

Moon huffed waved her wand. Simple in design, it looked like a small fountain pen topped with a heart and a crown. Even the way she performed her magic was simple. Waving her arms and bring the pen down to a rain of sparkles and shine as a stack of heavy, leather bound books floated to the ground. 

“Is this how you greet me after I brought you a present?” she folded her arms over her chest, scowling as Toffee laughed at her, this time bending forward to be eye level. Neither back down despite the uncomfortable silence.

 

When Moon looked away the tension eased out of the air. Even Star, unseen by the memory took a breath. “No one’s going to miss them Toffee, It’s whatever.” 

 

“At least let me thank you first.” Toffee said, letting her go and flipping through the first book, keeping an eye on Moon.

“I would but I thought I would save you the embarrassment of Mewnian emotion.” She looked back at him, an eyebrow perched on her forehead and a smile creeping along her face. 

Toffee spurted and snapped, closing the book with a slam as he gave Moon his full attention. “That’s not what I meant.”

Moon laughed, waving her wand and flying off towards the Royal Palace, her laughter trailing behind her as the stream of sparkles in her wake disappeared.

Star popped down behind the tree, holding her breath before she exhaled, long and heavy. “Holy Corn.”

A crack ripped through the ground in front of her, spidering across the forest floor before splintering and breaking the memory into shards. Star flailed and reached for the nearest shard, missing it by mere millimetres as she floated without direction in the fragmented memories. 

Each piece depicted something small and insignificant but nothing that looked like anything to her. Star fumed as she let out a loud scream, waving away the broken shard in front of her until she saw it. A glint of blue, pink and white floating across the empty space between memories. Her wand. 

She squealed and began to swim across the divide to the wand. Her arms strained in a space with no traction and no way for her mind to understand how she made it but she didn’t think too much on it, just grasping the wand and holding it tight in her grip.

“Oh baby how I missed you.” She cooed.

A shard of the memory floated directly in front of her, this one depicted a Toffee in a more Mewnian outfit complete with shoulder tassels and the current Regime crest, the clover. He still looked the same as ever, but this time he had a worried look on his face and he looked like he was speaking to someone, arms raised, eyes just a bit more pleading than she’d ever expected to see in him. 

The shard turned and turned but nothing else was shown; just Toffee and a loop of silent begging and pleading. It was too good to pass up. Curiosity tugged at her; lifting her hand to touch the memory in front of her.

Crackle.

Sparkles rained down on Star in the emptiness. Soon a scenery built up around her. A common area just like the one in her rooms, with a small but powerful fire roaring on the far wall and two large arm chairs that looked new in some places, patches of sparkles and royal blue and old in others where deep reds and plaid crossed each other. The rugs were dark blue, lined with clovers and diamonds and the walls lined with books of various shapes and sizes with the Book of Spells lying comfortably on its own stand.

Star considered looking through it, seeing what spells were there, if she could actually learn them maybe even speak to memory Glossaryck. The sparkles kept falling, building up and beside Star until both Toffee and Moon were standing in the middle of the room

Neither moved as the sparkles finished their work, giving Star just enough time to run and hide behind a close by chair. As soon as the last bit of dust fell , Toffee went through the loop Star had watched him go through before but this time she could hear every bit of dialogue as he said it.

Moon put a hand to her face, her hair in the trademark Heart shape with curls that Star was used to seeing her wear. As she spoke her voice strained, stiffer and more like the regal Queen Star was use to seeing than the young girl from the last memory. “Toffee, it’s Mewnipendence, I can’t just go alone.”

“I never said to go alone.” He raised his arms, hands stopping half way before putting them down. “I said I want no part of this.”

“You’re a Mewnian Citizen now.” Moon said, face impassive but her eyes still betraying how she felt. A little betrayed, hurt. Star couldn’t tell. “It’s going to be an important celebration since it’s your first and I wore down mother so she’d let you come.”

“I know, Moon.” Toffee sighed. “But you’re asking me to celebrate the day my people were kicked off their land. I’m going to be here, eating as much corn as I want while other monsters are out there starving.”

Moon straightened up her spine, spinning her wand as she fixed the ruffles on her dress. “There are Mewnans starving in Mewni too Toff.”

“It’s not the same thing.” Toffee stepped closer to Moon but she stood her ground, .

“Because they aren’t Monsters?” 

His eyes widened at the retort, steeling over as he ironed out the emotion in his voice. “You can’t twist my words to suit your purpose, Moon.”

Moon looked away, letting the cackling of the fire fill up the sound between. Despite the fire she wrapped her arms around herself, dropping the aloof mask. “You’re different.”

“I’m enough like them that I won’t be welcomed at the ball.” Toffee stepped closer, back straight, shoulders squared and voice just barely above a whisper. “Even if we lived in a place where Monsters and Mewnians were equals.”

Moon rubbed at her eyes, getting the right gloved dirty with mascara and blush. She tucked herself into Toffee’s waiting arms. She fisted his Jacket front and chocked back a sob, moving a hand down to hold the hand that stroked her hair. “You’re Mewni, you’re not evil.”

“I’m Know.”

“They can’t treat you like them.”

“Moon… I’m a monster. Just like every other Monster living in Mewni.”

She shook her head and buried her face in his Jacket. “But you’re different.”

“I’m n-”

“Yes you are!” She cradled his face in both hands. Her mascara ran down her cheeks in streaks, leaving lines in her blush and foundation. Even her eyeliner was a mess with half of it on Tooffe’s white Jacket. “You’re probably the smartest person I know after Glossaryck and you’re funny even when you’re being a pain. I’ll make Mewni see for themselves not all Monsters are bad.”

Star screamed. Loud and long and hard as the memory’s integrity shuddered, finally recognising the intruder in its midst.

The background faded but the couple remained, eyes glowing neon green as they stared at her. Nothing moved. Even the fire refused to cackle and flick in the silence before Star spoke.

“I don’t want to hurt you mom.” She said, trying to focus on the two before her, “but I will if I have to.”

The two copies marched forward, suddenly flanked by an army of Toffees all wearing the familiar Lawyer suit Star knew him best in. She jumped. Her heart skipping beats as her fingers went cold around her wand. 

She was gonna be sick. Eclipsa was one thing. Her grandmother was so far removed that her little act of rebellion meant almost nothing to Star. A free Mewnian woman being a free Mewnian woman, rebelling against the rules that told her she could and could not. Not to mention she’d already married, had kids at that point. Completely different. There was no Monster blood in Mewni’s royal family even if the family came close to it. The family line was still the same but more importantly, she wasn’t Toffee’s child.

A union between Mewni’s persistent queen and it’s most feverish enemy. Half Monster and half Mewnian but an enemy to both states. 

She screamed, turning to sock the monster in the face only to have him grab her arm with his teeth. Bright red over peach pink. Behind her was another Toffee, this one grabbing her from the side. Then another Toffee came and then another and another until she was pressed deep, deep, deep under all the bodies.

There wasn’t enough room to cast a spell and less oxygen to recite one. Her mind slipped, further than all the Toffees could press her and down into a well of magic older and stronger then she knew. It sang to her, whispering ways to cast spells that didn’t need movement and couldn’t be less bothered by silly things like air. Star accepted it and pushed back against her makeshift coffin, up, up, up and out until she was back in her room on Mewni, lying her bed.

Across the room were the same walls that her mom’s room. No chairs though, and the rug was patterned with diamonds and hearts. Star fell back onto her bed and sighed, curling around her favourite pillow as she looked over her wand.

It survived. The blues and purples were the right shades, no weird sickles. It was fine except for the missing half currently in Toffee’s right hand. He said he wanted her to see something, had something for her.

But what she saw, her mom and Toffee… it made her shudder and not for the first time made her miss her second home back on Earth.


End file.
